A controversial VAR decision saw Australia come back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Denmark.
The Aussies had lost their opening game, so knew that another defeat here could effectively knock them out of the tournament.
Matthew Leckie headed over the bar in the opening stages, and the Socceroos were quickly punished for that miss.
Nicolai Jorgensen raced on to a through ball, taking one touch before flicking it backward to Christian Eriksen, and the Tottenham Hotspur playmaker rifled in a fantastic goal on the half-volley.
A controversial VAR decision saw Australia come back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Denmark.
The Aussies had lost their opening game, so knew that another defeat here could effectively knock them out of the tournament.
Matthew Leckie headed over the bar in the opening stages, and the Socceroos were quickly punished for that miss.
Nicolai Jorgensen raced on to a through ball, taking one touch before flicking it backward to Christian Eriksen, and the Tottenham Hotspur playmaker rifled in a fantastic goal on the half-volley.
Jorgensen should have got a goal of his own, but he headed wide from Henrik Dalsgaard’s cross under pressure from former Inter defender Trent Sainsbury.
Australia were pushing hard to score, but a lack of quality in the final ball let them down.
They were quite literally handed a way back into the game though, when the ball struck the outstretched arm of Youssouf Poulsen.
Referee Antonio Lahoz initially waved play on, but after a VAR review he awarded a spot kick, which was cooly converted by Mile Jedinak.
Poulsen didn’t appear to deliberately handle the ball, but the officials decided after review that the action warranted a penalty.
It was end-to-end at the beginning of the second half, with the Danes seeing penalty appeals of their own waved away.
The Socceroos looked dangerous with Leckie down the flank, but they failed to create many clear-cut goalscoring chances.
Substitute Martin Braithwaite had a volley from just inside the box late on, but the Aussie goalkeeper was able to gather.
Denmark 1-1 Australia
Eriksen 7 (D) Jedinak pen 38 (A)
Denmark: Schmeichel; Dalsgaard, Kjaer, Christensen, Stryger; Eriksen, Schone, Delaney, Sisto; Poulsen (Braithwaite, 59), Jorgensen (Cornelius, 68)
Australia: Ryan; Risdon, Sainsbury, Milligan, Behich; Jedinak, Mooy; Leckie, Rogic (Irvine, 82), Kruse (Arzani, 68); Nabbout (Juric, 75)